Michael Ferguson,Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
In light of some poor driving behaviour around schools, the Tasmanian Liberal Government is taking further action to ensure the safety of our schoolchildren and the school crossing guards who protect them.
School crossing guards report experiencing near misses each day and dozens of other incidents such as drivers speeding through school crossings, ignoring stop signs or not driving with due care, as well as abusive or offensive behaviour.
Driver impatience, inattention and distraction endanger both our children and their crossing guards. I am confident that the vast majority of drivers do the right thing. The minority of drivers doing the wrong thing may be smaller in number but pose an unacceptable risk to kids.
It is often difficult for crossing guards to record details such as registration numbers of these vehicles, as their immediate focus is on keeping the kids safe in the street itself.
In response, I have determined that crossing guards will trial the use of body-worn cameras to record evidence of and deter dangerous driver behaviour.
This will mean information can be gathered so irresponsible drivers can be warned or potentially fined for their behaviour.
Depending on the offence, drivers may face a penalty of at least $173 and three demerit point, or risk losing their licence.
The trial will be conducted during term 2.
